


Crutches- Prompt Fill

by captaincravatthecapricious



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Broken Bones, Cooking, Dizziness, F/M, Food mention, Friendship, Gen, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Has EDS | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, M/M, internalized ableism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29687157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaincravatthecapricious/pseuds/captaincravatthecapricious
Summary: Jon breaks his leg, and is Jon about it.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James/Tim Stoker
Comments: 14
Kudos: 134





	Crutches- Prompt Fill

**Author's Note:**

> cw broken bones, food, internalized ableism, dizziness, headaches

Navigating the London underground on crutches had been trying to say the least.But, Jon has gotten very good at navigating it with his cane, so out of sheer spite, he managed it without incident. 

He is still clumsy on them, and by the time he reaches the university, he is more than out of breath, having to stop and use his inhaler before he can reach his classroom.(He will not be sharing that information with Martin, no way.He is Fine, and that would only cause worry, and Martin has enough to worry about being an EMT). 

Of course the annoying thing is that he broke his Good leg. 

Of course he manages to break his one more functional leg.What a very Jonathan Sims thing to do. 

He sighs.He does not want to explain this to his students.(And he certainly doesn’t want to explain this to Tim and Sasha, but of course they are coming over for dinner.Actually… he’s grateful that they don’t already know.Somehow he actually managed to calm Martin down and talk him out of calling them.Jon leaned hard into the _look I’m fine!It’s a clean break!It hardly hurts!It’s fine!I’ve had much worse, please don’t fuss!I’m still conscious and everything!_ Thing.)

Frankly, it’s embarrassing. 

He misses the days where he would just… heal. 

He might still.Well, he certainly would the old fashion way, but his recovery might be faster than normal.Physical injuries are still a little aided by his connection to the Eye, however weakened that connection might be.Doesn’t do Shit for illnesses, but as much as his EDS causes him to bruise, the bruises don’t stick around for too long. 

Just have to wait and see. 

His students stare. 

Jon shivers. 

He tries not to think about the Institute.He tries not to think about the prickle on the back of his neck… the feeling of eyes on him when there was no one around. _Don’t be daft, Jonathan, you can see the students right there.You can see their eyes.You are just their odd professor who looks even more haggard and beat up than usual._

He Feels much more haggard than usual.And he’s shaking from the albuterol. 

“Professor, what happened?” One of his students ask as he maneuvers the podium so he can drop his bag. 

He curses at the lack of chair in the lecture hall.He’s asked for one.Repeatedly.And he’s dragged his office chair in with him before, but… he doesn’t exactly have the hands to do it. 

He has to balance on one leg to dig is computer out so he can connect it to the projector. 

“I’m fine,” he answers automatically.He was.He is.Just tripped like the idiot he is, and broke his good leg.His bad leg had been throbbing since he got on the tube. 

He ignores it. 

His students eye him with clear suspicion.Which… Jon would have worried about if… they weren’t perfectly justified. 

They had seen him faint many times, pop his hip back in place, watched him dislocate and relocate his arm, and there was the time he had the concussion, and the time he had a migraine and had fainted when someone tapped him on the shoulder, and the time when he had come to class feverish. 

These students have called Martin so many times by now. 

He deserves those cautions glances.These kids (not really kids, but sue him, they look like kids in his eyes) are ready to call him on his bullshit. 

“I fell the other day.I’ll be fine.Just a broken tibia.I’ll be fine in couple months.Let’s get on with the lesson.”

One kid raises their hand, and Jon calls on them.“Yes?”

“Professor Blackwood-Sims, isn’t that your good leg?”

Damn these overly observant students.If only they payed that much attention to his lectures.(No, that’s not fair, they are all good students.The ones who struggle, have good reason to, and Jon has managed to get them to all come talk to him and tell him what they need to do better). 

Jon smiles tightly.“Well… it _was_.Okay, on with the lecture.”

His leg hurts.The not broken one.The broken one… well that hurts a little too, but not nearly as much as the one full of holes.(They are both full of holes, but one was wormed much more thoroughly and hasn’t been the same since.)

Balancing on one leg proves difficult as he’s hit by dizziness.He’s been standing too long.Too long on his bad leg, and the tension and pain have given him a headache bad enough that he’s had one of his students turn off the lights.He can’t face the light of the projector, so he gives the lecture angling away from it. 

One of his students offers to run the PowerPoint so he can sit in one of the desks as he teaches, but he turns her down.There are only a few minutes left.He can make it.Then he can get home and take some painkillers and shower before Tim and Sasha come to dinner. 

He knows he can cancel, but he doesn’t want to.He’s more dreading having explain what happened. 

He reaches the flat quickly enough.He should have time to shower and cook.He hopes. 

He swallows some painkillers dry (just a few so he can still take more before bed and not worry Martin by pushing the recommended doses too far) and works his way out of his work clothes while sitting on the bed.It isn’t fun. 

He swallows his pride and uses the shower seat.He hates it.He hates that he needs it, yes, but honestly it’s more an issue with the textured plastic under his naked skin.It feels… wrong.Both because it reminds him of the circus, and because it’s just a bad texture.It also feels gross… as in unclean.He cleans it vigorously often, but it still doesn’t feel clean to him. 

Between the headache, and the dizziness from the hot water and several nights of poor sleep (from nightmares and trying to sleep with a cast on which gave him More nightmares), and the pain in both his legs, Jon fights back the darkness around the edges of his vision. 

He will Not pass out now. 

No. 

Will not happen.No thank you.No. 

He fights to keep upright and conscious.And, surprisingly, wins that battle. 

He sits on the bed again while dressing, and while braiding his hair. 

It takes him a long time.There is a lot of hair to work with, and his scalp hurts with the intensity of his headache.He also dallies, the more time this takes, the longer he can sit. 

He should consider dragging a chair in front of the counter and a chair in front of the stove.That could make cooking less painful. 

Well, in some ways. 

The unnatural angles are hell on his wrists when chopping. 

Lesser of two evils, however, he supposes. 

Shit.He isn’t going to have time to finish dinner by the time Tim and Sasha arrive. 

And Martin isn’t going to be home for another hour.He knows, he _knows_ (not Knows, though), that they won’t mind.Tim might even Help him cook, but… he doesn’t like being a bother.He wants… well frankly he wants to erase the years of hurt with food (Christ, Martin has worn off on him.Not that he minds.He loves Martin). 

The sauce is almost done, but he hasn’t even started the pasta by the time Tim’s voice drifts through the door.Sing-song and loud.No knocking (thankfully). 

Jon hates that he needs the crutches to get to the door.He hates that his vision is swimming by then too.The painkillers took the edge off the pain, but can’t do much about the other stresses on Jon’s mortal frame. 

“Be there in a moment, or you can just let yourself in,” Jon calls back.He has to pause and lean on the wall.This is all very irritating. 

Apparently, Tim had already been halfway through unlocking the door, because he’s in before Jon can even finish the sentence. 

“Jesus, Jon, what did you do this time?”Sasha exclaims, quickly, but gracefully pulling off her coat, hanging it on one of the hooks by the door.It’s less a question than a statement. 

“Hello Sasha, Tim.Dinner isn’t quite ready, but it’s not too far away.In the meantime there’s wine.Martin will be here soon, but his shift isn’t over yet.”His eyes are closed.Head tilted back against the wall.The room finally stops spinning around him. 

“What did you even do?”Tim this time. 

Jon… doesn’t meet his eyes.He knows he is blushing, but there isn’t much to be done about that.He mumbles.He doesn’t know why.He knows it won’t work.Shoving out the words too fast to be understood. 

“What was that Jonny?”That is a cackle.Tim is cackling.Tim, is very irritating… but he does love him, even when he’s teasing. 

“Tripped over my cane.”Jon says as quickly and quietly as possible. 

“Only you, buddy.Only You, could do something like that.Now PLEASE SIT DOWN BEFORE YOU FALL OVER.I can finish making dinner!”Tim herds him to a chair.In the kitchen, because Jon knows that Tim knows Jon won’t actually relax on the couch or the bed if he’s told to. 

“Okay, Jon, what’s left to do… No buts!This smells amazing and I can’t fuck up pasta, probably.At least I assume you planned pasta, because there is a box on the counter.”Sasha says this brandishing aforementioned pasta. 

Sasha makes him tea.Tim makes the pasta.(Tim is absolutely the chief between the two of them.) 

“When did you last have painkillers?”Tim asks. 

“Not too long ago.Really I’m fine.”

Tim hmmms. 

Jon finds himself nodding off at the table by the time Martin comes home. 

He knows he’s being talked about. 

“Hey, sweetheart.Hey?”

Jon sleepily raises his head from the table.“Sorry, I went to work.” 

“Love, I thought you were going to Zoom in today.”Martin doesn’t sound Angry.But he doesn’t sound happy about this.In Jon’s defense, he did say he would see how he felt, and he felt fine in the morning. 

Jon whines, he hates disappointing Martin. 

“We can talk about that tomorrow.”Martin presses a kiss to his forehead. 

“Hey!No sleeping until we eat!”Tim.Mock serious.Although he will be very serious if Jon tries to skive off to sleep without some food. 

“Dinner, then I vote we cuddle Jon until he gets some rest!”Sasha this time. 

_Just like old times._

He knows he will be teased for How he broke his leg.He knows he and Martin will have a serious chat about him pushing himself. 

But for now there is food, and cheer, and his loved ones. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I am captaincravatthecapricious on tumblr! I am still accepting bingo prompts! Please send me more because the starred ones are back written already! Send me a prompt and a character and let me know if you want a drawing or writing! Let me know if you enjoyed, have a lovely day!


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